People often ask me how I gather the information I give to clients during psychic readings. The key is utilizing the four main avenues our intuition uses to communicate with us, known in psychic circles as the "four clairs": clairaudience (hearing voices), clairvoyance (seeing images), clairsentience (recognizing feelings), and claircognizance (knowing).

While some people might be naturally stronger in one of the four clairs, everyone can improve their intuition and experiment with new methods. Read through the descriptions below to discover which clairs your intuition favors, as well as tips for tapping into all four.

Clairaudience.

Clairaudient messages sound like someone talking in my mind. This voice will never be harsh or tormenting (unlike voices that people who have certain psychological conditions, severe hormone imbalances, or vitamin and mineral deficiencies can hear). The tone of this voice is almost always the same: even and calm.

Messages that arrive clairaudiently for clients during readings are usually straightforward, like "wait until after graduation" or "ask for a monthly retainer." Clairaudience often offers short messages, like Yoda from Star Wars. Sometimes the message will be only one word or number. For instance, I may receive the message that the client's subconscious blocks were triggered by a traumatic event when she was "13" or that the client might want her next career to be "nursing" or that her husband's name is "Frank." And while I often hear cliches like "the timing is right" or "he’s the one" or "she only wants what she can’t have," clairaudient messages can also be poetic. Once I asked my husband what he thought his traditional Native American name might be if he had been born into that culture, and he replied, "Lone Eagle." I then wondered aloud, "What would my name be?" I immediately heard in my mind: "sheltering sky."

Clairaudience pro tips: Many times after a session, my clients have reported clearly hearing someone call their name, only to turn around and realize there was no one there. Working with intuitives like me or reading about intuition actually opens up your own intuition and clairaudient potential.

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Clairvoyance.

Some people use the term "clairvoyant" as if it were synonymous with "psychic," but really clairvoyance is just one of the four clairs a psychic uses. Clairvoyant messages, which arrive as an image or scene in my mind, usually come as a metaphor. If the client is overwhelmed I might see them drowning or carrying some large bundle on their back. If I see an image of the continental plates shifting or the ground shaking beneath someone’s feet, it means the client is experiencing such dramatic life changes that nothing feels stable. If a client is looking for a new job or business partnership, I might see them fishing, with lots of little fish swimming by their line. This might mean the client should wait for the "big fish," or the really plum offer. If I see a weathervane whipping this way and that in the wind, it might mean that the client’s lover is changeable or unpredictable. These are just examples—the images are usually different for every client, which makes my job fun!

Clairvoyance pro tips: Be on the lookout for images that pop into your mind out of the blue—they may be intuitive messages. My clairaudience was once my strongest psychic ability early on, and clairvoyance only came along years later. So be patient: Your intuition can grow dramatically over time.

Clairsentience.

Clairsentient messages come through as a feeling, and clairsentience is the most common of the four clairs. Gut instincts, being able to read the emotions of others, or sensing the collective energy of a room all fall under this umbrella. Before I get on the phone with a client I can usually get a feeling for their energy: bubbly, serious, outgoing, highly intellectual, nurturing. Whenever I give a client a message and I get chills all over, I know the message is important for the client to hear. If someone has physical ailments, I will often feel them briefly before or during the call in my own body (my knee will ache if the client just had surgery there, or a sensation will run through my tummy if digestion is an issue for the client). My throat will often feel tight briefly during a session if the client’s throat chakra, which is how we express ourselves and our emotions, is closed off.

Clairsentience pro tips: Whenever you get a strong intuitive feeling about something, write it down in a journal. Over the next weeks or months, you will realize how many clairsentient messages you get from your intuition. Beginning to recognize these messages will help you pick up on more of them.

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Claircognizance.

How do I know if one of my clients' parents had narcissistic tendencies, or if my client's child is very sensitive? How do I hone in on subconscious blocks and old wounds that are holding the client back or comprehend instantly complex relationships the client has with friends and co-workers? This intuitive ability is called claircognizance. It's when our brains get an immediate download from our intuition, just like when you download a large amount of information into your computer's hard drive. Although when it happens to a human brain, the download occurs within a few seconds. No waiting patiently for a large file to load—your intuition has a great connection!

Claircognizance pro tips: The next time you are trying to figure something out and your logical brain is stumped—whether it’s your boss’ motivations or the quickest way to get your afternoon errands accomplished—silently ask your intuition to give you the answer through claircognizance. Your intuition is always listening and could have some amazing answers for you.

Intuition is a gift, but one that we all possess. Don’t be shy or intimidated about getting more in touch with yours. Practice tuning in and trusting for better results!